Diet AND Exercise Key To Weight Loss

You and I both know individuals who believe weight loss requires either simply dieting or just getting on a consistent exercise plan. In fact, you might be one of these wishful thinking people! I regret to inform you that getting into your summer swimsuit isn't going to happen if you only choose to do one or the other. Unfortunately, the weight loss game battles a very potent biological force day in and day out: the fact that our body is adaptable. Thanks to the almighty SAID Principle (Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand) you must partake in healthy nutrition plan coupled with a sound exercise program.

The human body is a resilient organism and it will find a way to make the most out of the food you give it, even when it is too little food! The simple act of reducing calories will help you successfully drop body fat for a short amount of time, but you will soon stop seeing results if you are not exercising as well. This is because the body will become aware of the caloric deficit, realize it is not getting a sufficient amount of energy and in turn slows down it's metabolic processes in order to more efficiently utilize the energy it does get. It's kind of like cutting costs and streamlining a business: getting the same production out of less workers. When your metabolism adapts to the lower intake, you will cease to see any more fat loss.

If you choose to just exercise with no regard to your food intake, you will likely see another moderately successful attempt at long term weight loss. You may decide to not reduce your calorie intake, but increase your activity level. This too will work for a short amount of time and cause you to lose some body fat initially, but the body will adapt to your routine (especially if you aren't changing it up) and it will find a comfortable way for it fuel the new activity demands with the calories you give it. This is why to successfully lose weight in the long term, you need to focus on both your food intake and your exercise program.

In order to lose weight effectively over a long period of time you need to keep your metabolism revved up with exercise and keep your body at a caloric deficit MOST of the time in order to shed fat. I say most because I use a one or two treat day system with my clients and in my own food intake plan in order to "shock" the metabolism. If you keep your body in starvation mode for too long, it holds onto fat and conserves energy. When you allow yourself to have one or two days of a higher caloric intake, the body realizes it is not in a time of scarcity and continues to rev up the metabolism. Using this cheat or "treat" day system coupled with consistent exercise will put your metabolism in the best position for burning fat efficiently!

You can take a look at a simple version of my "treat" day system by downloading the Body Basics Fat Loss Manual at my Body Basics DVD page. Enjoy!